Time's up: Popular Montrose Tex-Mex spot finally gives way to new apartments

Time's up: Montrose Tex-Mex spot finally gives way to new apartments

Sad news, Montrose Tex-Mex fans. The neighborhood will soon be down to only one location of El Tiempo Cantina. Owner Roland Laurenzo announced that the location will close after service on July 31.

Closing 1308 brings to a conclusion an unusual restaurant real estate saga. Originally, 1308 had been slated to close in 2015 to make way for new apartments, but a downturn in the real estate market prompted the developer to put the project on hold. Almost fours years later, those plans are finally back on.

In the meantime, El Tiempo opened a second Montrose location in the former La Strada/La Casa del Caballo space at 322 Westheimer Rd. That location, known as the 1308 Annex, will remain open. Laurenzo is inviting 1308 Cantina's fans to celebrate the restaurant's last day with a special bash.

"We will be closing 1308 Cantina in the style it has always been, with a Fiesta! Come join the fun," Laurenzo said in a statement. "We will be offering the last 1308 Cantina margarita in a silent auction that evening which will benefit the Ninfa Laurenzo Scholarship Fund."

Those who miss the party shouldn't feel too upset. El Tiempo has seven locations across the Houston area that provide plenty of opportunities to chow down on fajitas and sip margaritas.